Aloria
Geography The Democratic Republic of Aloria is a nation in Northwest Artania. Aloria occupies Antaria's northwest corner. On Aloria's northeastern border is Dorvik; on its eastern border is Kirlawa; on its southeastern border is Dundorf; and along its southern border is Rutania. The blue waters of the Verranderlijke Ocean wash ashore on Aloria's West Coast. Aloria has five provinces: *Gavonshire *Krentori *Kurmal *Sildar *Ultran Demographics Population The most populous areas are in the north and east. The northern region consists of the largest and most populated cities in the country. 25% of the population lives in the province of Ultran. The highest population is concentrated around the cities of Ultran and Port Liberty, which is one of the largest towns in the country. The province of Kurmal, the largest province of Aloria, is also a very populated region. In Gavonshire, Sildar and Krentori the most populated areas are only concentrated in and around the large cities. Origin Alorians are a mix of Kurmal-natives (mostly Vetari and Concordia Indians, and settlers from Dorvik and Kirlawa, who settle down in the Kurmal mountains around the year 2000. These people were, and still are, considered as the native population of Aloria. During the 13th and 14th Centuries, white explorers who traveled up the Antarian westcoast settled down on the Sildar peninsula. More then thousand years later this resulted in a mixed white and native Alorian race. Today, they form the majority of the population, while the native-Alorians were reduced to less then 5% of the population. From the 21st Century on, immigrants from other parts of the world came to Aloria, mostly from Istalia, Cildania and Darnussia. Those immigrants still form a minority in Aloria, but their cultural influences are very effective on today's society. Language English is the official language in Aloria, and is spoken by almost 95% of the population. English in Aloria is notable for its Alorian dialect, or the Alorian slang, which is most common in the rural areas of the country. Small minorities of native-Alorians in the east still maintain their native language, which is called Kurmali. Religion The majority of the Alorians are Christian (almost 79% of the population). Foreign missionaries brought Early Christian influences to Aloria. Many of them build monasteries high in the Kurmal Mountains. A second strand of influence came from the many immigrants moving into Aloria late in the 21st Century. Aloria's largest minority religion is Judaism. The religion found support among about 12% of the population. Libertia and Sildar City have the largest Jewish pockets. The second largest minority religion in Aloria is Islam (6% of the population). Islamic followers immigrated to Aloria mainly in the early-22nd Century. They are mostly concentrated in harbor cities as Port Libertia, Port Aloria and Ceres. The Christian Archbishop is the highest Christian religious leader in the country. Government Aloria is a federal republic composed of territorial sovereigns united under a central government. Aloria's provinces are famously empowered compared to provinces in other nations. They are charged with a large share of Aloria's governing responsibility, enabling Aloria's federal government to remain relatively small. Aloria's federal government is a parliamentary democracy with a split head of state. In the 25th Century, during the Luthori war, Justice Carmine Delgado wrote a Supreme Court opinion discussing some of the differences between the duties of the Cabinet, which is a branch of the Parliament, and the President, which is Aloria's head of state. Generally, the President is charged with negotiating foreign treaties and dealing with military matters, subject to the approval of Parliament. While there is some disagreement as to what matters the Parliament may properly regulate in foreign affairs, it is generally agreed that Parliament determines the size of the military and Foreign Affairs budgets; that the Cabinet Ministers decide how those budgets are spent except where mandated by Parliament; and that the President performs all executive functions in defense and foreign affairs--i.e., functions requiring prompt, decisive action. The President is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The Alorian Cabinet ALORIAN CABINET The Alorian Prime Minister chairs the Alorian Cabinet. The Prime Minister is effectively the head of the Ministry of Head of Government. The Cabinet is also composed of 12 lesser ministries. Including the Ministry of Head of Government, the Alorian ministries are: Ministry of Head of Government Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Internal Affairs Ministry of Finance Ministry of Defense Ministry of Justice Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport Ministry of Health and Social Services Ministry of Education and Culture Ministry of Science and Technology Ministry of Food and Agriculture Ministry of Environment and Tourism Ministry of Trade and Industry History List of Presidents of the Democratic Republic of Aloria Libertarian Dominance to the Big Deal (2430-2474) presided over the enactment of many early, Big Deal economic reforms.]] Throughout the 25th Century, Alorian politics were dominated by the Moderate Libertarian Party (MLP) and the Constitution Party, who had largely similar laissez-faire ideological goals. Their signature legislation was the “flat budget,” in which all ministries were awarded the same low amount of funding each year. Midway through the century, the Democratic Rationalists (DRs) emerged as a force in opposition to such ideology. Their motto: "A New Order for the Ages." They begin scoring some victories, as their candidates, first Helmut Helmut and Solomon Kane were both elected President. Both enacted their “Big Deal” economic reforms, which included provisions for a minimum wage, and some expansions in health and social service programs. Funding remained sparse, however, as the MLP/CP coalition defeated most tax and budget bills necessary to implement the reforms. Kane’s proposed “Treaty for International Wage Standards” gained some traction abroad, but was ultimately never approved by Parliament. Budget Wars to the Progressive Renaissance (2474-2527) The Democratic Rationalists allied with the Alorian Free Democrats, a new party, to defeat the flat budget. A series of “budget wars” followed, as political battles were fought over how much funding each ministry would receive. Over the course of time, MLP and its allies entered into dominance, electing and re-electing for many terms as President Daniel Mansifeld. A few events, however came together to tip the balance in the other way. First, a new political party called the Progressive League for Advanced Nations (PLAN), starts to become a contender in the presidential elections. In a shocking turn of events, PLAN candidate Jerome Resso was elected President in 2505. Additionally, the 2505 election was the first time that the newly formed Publitrican Party (later the Alorian Public Union) participated. The party had begun as a movement in Ultran and to a lesser extent in Slidar, where a new political phenomenon known as the "Publitrican Movement" of social conservative and economic progressive principles was taking root. Various faction merged together to form one party under the leadership of Colgate Herman Johnson, from the "Patrician Family of Ultran", who ran as the party's candidate in 2505 as well as in a few subsequent elections. Jerome Resso was narrowly defeated in a rematch against Mansfield three years later. Out of the eighty million votes cast, the two were separated by less then a million. Mansfield then continued to cut the budget, and eventually all ministries were drastically downsized. By 2520, Alorian federal spending accounted for roughly less than %1 of GDP. One general called it a “miracle” that Aloria is not attacked by foreign invaders. of the Publitrican Party and Colton White of the Democratic Rationalists were for 12 years partners in the Leadership of the Progressive Coalition and of Aloria throughout the Progressive Rennassiance]] A Coalition consisting of the Democratic Rationalists, the People's Reform Party and the Publitrican Party (later Alorian Public Union), the Democratic Centrist Party and the Alorian Free Democrats united to implement reforms for an overall dramatic increase in the role of the national government in Alorian life. Over the course of about two decades, federal government spending rose from less than %1 of GDP to just under 20%. A mandatory living wage was also enacted. Social Security, National Health Care, and National Welfare plans too were enacted and sustained for a time. Meanwhile, Democratic Rationalist Colton White and Publitrican Nelson Cudderboard ran the country together as President and Prime Minister, eventually switching roles with one another. The two were partners in the leadership of the Progressive Coalition and of Aloria throughout the Progressive Renaissance. The Politics of Polarity (2527-2551) Despite their success in the parliament, divisions within the Progressive Coalition prevented it from holding the Presidency, which the MLP regained after two terms of Colton White (who had decided not to run for a third term, instead selecting Prime Minister Cudderboard to run in his place as the coalition candidate). Newly-elected MLP President Jack Vincent Jr. attempted to reassert Libertarian power from the Presidential Palace when he ordered the Executive Cabinet disbanded, and locks all Cabinet heads out of the Old Executive Office Building. Finance Minister Sojourner Smart challenged the lockout in court. Chief Judge Carmine Delgado, an MLP appointee, wrote an opinion declaring that Aloria's constitutional "separation of powers" between the Head of Government and the President bars the President from unilaterally shutting down the Cabinet. Though Vincent complied with the decision, Cabinet business remained held at the Lambrecht Office Complex, a building rented during the lockout as a temporary cabinet headquarters. The Old Executive Office Building was converted first into a homeless shelter, and later a museum. Vincent was not re-elected and the Progressive Coalition retook the presidency. Nelson Cudderboard was President for two-terms, with former President Colton White as his Prime Minister. After Cudderboard's two terms, the Coalition collapsed over the issue of a state-acknowledged religion. As a result, the MLP recaptured the Presidency with their candidate Vincento Vanzetti V, but libertarianism saw little overall success in its parliamentary bills and in crafting government policy. Hartsen Caddy of the APU assumed the Prime Ministership, as the old coalition parties sought to rebuild their alliance and regain the chief executive seat. For decades however, Vanzetti was President, while the progressives controlled parliament and its Prime Minister Hartsen Caddy acted as the voice of opposition to the Libertarian President. At this point, the Democratic Socialist Party (DSP) emerged, they would later join the Progressive Coalition. Vanzetti was eventually defeated as the newly formed Liberal Party burst onto the scene, capturing the plurality of seats in the Parliament as well as the Presidential Palace in Libertia. However, Liberal Party support precipitously dropped off over the course of the next two election cycles. Historians still debate the causes and nature of this flash in the pan movement. Their one term President Albert Mora, sought to curb the polarity in politics, to little avail. Meanwhile, the DSP cemented it alliance with the Progressive Coalition. A Nation Divided (2558-2568) In 2558, President Ben Thompson of the Democratic Centrist Party was elected as the Progressive Coalition rallies to elect its first President in years. The War of Luthori Succession soonafter came to Aloria's attention. The Gerahon (Luthori) Imperial Diet had voted to amend its constitution to abolish the country's entrenched monarchy. Imperial forces rebelled, enlisting the aid of fellow monarchist governments from around Terra. As it appeared Republican forces would be defeated, talks began in Alorian leadership circles of a possible intervention to "promote democracy abroad." Aloria's covert agency, DRACO, began operations in Luthori, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent weapons and aid to the Republican Militias, and 1,000 Alorian Advisors were sent as well. The Moderate Libertarian Party sharply protested the idea of intervention. Terrorists allegedly affiliated with Luthori monarchists then struck, using explosives to destroy several military recruiting facilities across to protest possible Alorian intervention in Gerahon. At the same time, various MLP members contacted numerous soldiers to encourage them to desert. Some soldiers did, though the exact numbers are disputed. In some provinces, however, enlistment declined as a wave of terror attacks occurred. Articles of impeachment were submitted to the Parliament by the MLP. Most parties did not vote on the bill. However, a majority of parties that did vote voted for President Thompson's impeachment. At his later trial, however, President Thompson was acquitted of any wrongdoing. The MLP was then censured by the Parliament for its alleged affiliations with terrorists and free speech slandering of the President. Much went into the next elections of 2565. Socialist Prime Minister William Fletcher, a big proponent of intervention in Luthori, ran as the candidate of the Progressive Coalition, the successor to President Thompson. The MLP ran former one-term President, son of the MLP President from decades before, Jack Vincent Jr. The Election was a big win for Fletcher, who soon sent 150,000 Alorian Troops to Luthori. The country was currently in a cease-fire and Fletcher's intent was to strengthen the Republican side of the peacetalks. Eventually, the war came to an end, and while throughout their deployment there was a cease-fire, 548 Alorian soldiers were killed in guerrilla raids. The Politics of Coalition (2568-2580) Tired of losing to the Progressive Coalition, conservatives in the United Republican Party, the Proud of Aloria Party, and the New Liberals banded together to form their own coalition, the Front for Liberty. Their goal is to appeal to center-right voters alienated by MLP's staunch libertarianism. In 2568, Front For Liberty candidate Peter Alderson of the Proud of Aloria Party defeated President William Fletcher's bid for re-election, but the FFL coalition failed to win enough seats in Parlaiment to overcome the Progressive Coalition's majority there. Peter Alderson's proved to be a weak presidency, and the next election saw an overwhelming defeat as Socialist and Progressive Coalition Candidate William Fletcher's won re-election to that office. Once by far the plurality party, MLP now saw itself undergoing an identity crisis, as the old party leadership was briefly usurped by a once minor Libertarian Socialist faction. Vincento Vanzetti VII and Vincento Vanzetti VIII, grandson and great grandson of the President Vincento Vanzetti V and thus part of what is considered part of the party's aristocracy, soon after were found dead at their respective homes. Due to the suspicious circumstances of the death, the Justice Ministry, on order from then Minister of Justice Horatio RIley Herman, began an investigation. The MLP libertarian-socialist faction sternly refused to cooperate even after having been subpoenaed. When Herman ordered the Party's Lawyers disbarred and that the party lost its legislative privileges, an independent court overturned the punishment. The formal investigations were eventually closed; the Vanzetti deaths were both ruled suicides. The controversy surrounding the new party's leadership turned off some of MLP's old constituents. There was protesting and later riots at the party's convention in 2577, and soon the Libertarian Socialist faction was thrown out of its leadership role in the party. Former Libertarian President Jack Vincent, Jr. again took up the mantle of party leadership, running as the party's presidential candidate later that year. The next elections proved to be decisive for the Progressive Coalition. A boost in government spending on Health and Human Services caused an overall economic boom in Aloria, and this boded well for the Progressive Coalition. For the first time in centuries the presidential election did not go into a second round as the Coalition's candidate Democratic Rationalist Millicent Smith won in the first round with more then 52% of the vote. The Coalition also won 446 seats in the 750-seat parliament, its largest majority yet. All provinces but the long Libertarian stronghold of Krentori voted to grant its plurality of parliamentary seats to a Progressive Party. After the election, the FFL soon disbanded. Libertarian/Conservative Dominance Revival (2580-2623) The first issue facing President Smith was a second Civil War in the Luthori. Smith, espousing the principles of the "Fletcher Doctrine" of Alorian intervention on behalf of Artanian self-determination, sent a naval task force, the action was meant to send a message to the Alduria who were threatening to send a ground force to the county. Fortunately, Alorian intervention was never escalated, and despite heightened tensions, the issue was resolved and Alorian military forces returned home. Meanwhile, internal struggles of fractionism were tearing apart the Alorian Public Union. APU Chairman Horatio Riley Herman (who had since resigned his post as Justice Minister) saw this and decided he would try for a Presidential run in the next elections, as a way you unify the party. He had long had presidential ambitions, and saw this as his last chance. Incumbent Millicent Smith, however, had no intention of stepping aside. In a compromise, it was decided that Herman would wait until the next election and would meanwhile hold the position of Prime Minister Then, the Libertarian Party, not affiliated with the Moderate Libertarian Party emerged. After Smith's second term, the MLP and the Libertarian Party formed their own Conservative Coalition and ran their own candidate, Daniel T. Great in the 2584 election. Herman was unable to secure the presidency that year, as his party was further disintegrating and was unable to run his campaign. Daniel T. Great was then elected to the executive office, and soonafter the Alorian Public Union collapsed. APU politicians quickly searched for other party's to join. Herman joined the Democratic Rationalist Party and Minister of Health Julian Thames joined the Socialist Alliance. Early elections were held, as the APU was a full 1/5 of Parliament and that void needed to be filled. Democratic Centrist Richard Smith decisively beat out one-term incumbent Great. The first issue facing the new President Smith was an epidemic of the "Brenner Virus" in Calliope, Krentori. The city was quarrentined, over the objections of the MLP and of the Krentori Provincial Legislature, but still the virus spread. A state of emergency was issued, and all areas infected with BV were then also quarantined, the country put on "lockdown" so far as international travel was concerned. The hardest hit area initially was Krentori. Krentorians were very dissatisfied with the response of the national government, particularly the quarantine of Calliope, and a small separatist secession movement soon took control of the Provincial Government there. From 2587 till the early 2625, the MLP together with the Conservative Union dominated Parliament. Due to internal problems and crises, all other parties collapsed in those decades, first with the Liberals, followed by the Rationalists and the Socialist Alliance. This gave the Libertarians and Conservative Union a free hand to retain the majority in parliament. Until 2625, Aloria was ruled by MLP presidents (Alvarez, Kirkwood, Jones and Franco) and CU presidents (Kennedy, Bush and Salvatore). Both parties swapped the presidency and parliament pluralities with regularity during their nearly four decade conservative bloc reign. But after almost 40 years of MLP/CU dominance, several new parties rose to compete against the MLP and CU. First, new Socialist and Communist parties were established, and later "hard-right" neo-conservatives founded the fascistic Nationalist Party. Rise of Nationalism (2623-2629) The elections of 2623 marked the beginning of a new era. After nearly four decades of rule the MLP and CU lost their majority in parliament, which cleared the way for the Nationalists, Socialists and Communists. The elections, however, caused an impossible political landscape in parliament in which no one of the political blocs gain a majority. The Nationalists gained a tremendous electoral victory, when the new party won plurality in parliament going from 0 to 220 seats, an event that only happened before when the liberals entered politics in the 2550's. Although none of the parties wanted to work together with the ultra-nationalists, whom they considered extremists, this only gave the Nationalist Party more popularity. The political crisis, which was caused when none of the parties was able to form a new government due the huge polarization that existed, resulted in early elections. In March 2625, the Nationalists gained presidency, when Bernard Rosenberg won the presidential elections marking an end to Libertarian/CU presidential dominance. Rosenberg was also the first president to served a four-year term since the new legislature moved the presidential term up from 3.5 years to 4 years. The Nationalists started a new rightist program that contained heavily anti-immigrant policies, alongside intentional isolationism and populist-corporatism. The Alorian government had essentially become three major factions: the Nationalists, the Libertarians, and the Marxists (a coalition of radical socialists and communists), with neither one of them being able to gain the upper hand. The Communist Insurrection (2629-2633) During Rosenberg's four years in office, there was little development of unity between the conservative parties. Meanwhile, CP leader Lucien Kanally called for a civil war led by militant communists. The MLP then called on Rosenberg to have capitol police charge and put Kanally on trial for treason and attempting to incite violence. Rosenberg eventually responded and Kanally was captured. He managed to escape, however, and CPA militants in Kurmal Province violently took-over local governments. For the next three years, thousands of anti-communist and pro-communist forces were killed as were hundreds of civilans. While billionaire Prime Minister Pierce Farnsworth used part of his personal fortune to evacuate civilians from Kurmal and fund anti-communist forces, the violence slowed but did not stop. In Gavonshire Province, meantime, militant unionists attacked police leading to riots. Unlike Kurmal, however, the violence was temporary. Altogether nationalism peaked in 2629, just before Rosenberg was defeated by former-opponent Carla Franco of the MLP. She won by just over 3/10ths of 1% -- or roughly 385,000 votes nationwide. This was the second closest presidential election in Alorian history. Analysts credit Franco's win in large part due to the communist hijacking of governments in Kurmal and socialist riots in Gavonshire. After Franco's reelection, a new executive cabinet was quickly formed by the MLP and NP. Farnsworth stepped-down as Prime Minister to the NP's John D. Cassidy. This compromise was seen as a first triump for the Franco Administration. One month after the election of 2629, CPA leader Lucien Kannally was wounded and captured by anti-communist forces in Kurmal. Shortly after his arrest, Franco called on parliament to approve a blockade and then a limited bombing of strategic communist terrorist installations throughout the province. Franco reasoned this would help end the hostile communist take-over and violence in the region that had persisted for over three years. Parliament approved both measures and Franco implemented the blockade first. Before the blockade began, however, a jury found Kannaly guilty on 86 of the government's 93 criminal charges against him. The charges included treason, inciting violence and murder. Kanally was sentenced to life without parole by Alorian Federal Judge Reggie Holden. Franco was then renominated by her party for the 2633 election. Within roughly six months, the rebels were pushed to the province's northern border. Franco approval ratings, meanwhile, shot to nearly 84%, the highest presidential approval ratings since Mallorie Kennedy and Kirsten Kirkwood nearly four decades prior. Three months after the rebel push, the CSA introduced a peace proposal. Franco agreed, even though CSA-backed militants had begun the four-year-old conflict, to sit-down with party leaders and hammerout a compromise. Soonafter, the MLP introduced the revised Kurmal Peace Accords, which passed parliament ending the conflict. Politics Consolidates (2633-?) The 2633 election's saw a new political party, the Social Capitalist Party emerge, with their candidate Gene Hamshee elected president. He won round 1 voting by almost 2% and round 2 by nearly 5%. The election was expected to see either Carla Franco or Bernard Rosenberg reelected, so this came as a suprise to the political and media establishment. To them,it seemed Hamshee was a third tier candidate running against two other popular presidents. In hindsight, however, the reason for Hamshee's victory has been attributed to a lack of faith in both former Presidents Rosenberg and Franco. While Franco had a high approval rating during the communist insurgency, she was viewed largely as an alternative to Rosenberg's management of that war, and in fact had years previous been booted out of that office. Meanwhile, the war with the communists had ended, and many socialists were disappointed with the radical militance of the left, just as many social conservatives were disappointed with the radical militarism of the right. SCP was seen as more moderately tempered choice. The SCP also took parliamental plurality previously held for nearly a decade by the Nationalist Party. The SCP soon after proposed an agenda of what it called "Dynamic Capitalism" in parliament, with four first year agenda bills which included setting up a national public pension system, enforcing consumer safety laws, and increasing government spending from below 1% to 10% of GDP. The legislative agenda items all passed, the tax and spending bills did not, a much less ambitious compromise eventually being passed instead. The SCP was more a less composed of three factions: the populists, the federalists, and some conservative religious groups that advocated the reestablishment of the Alorian Church, which for decades had been unrecognized as the national religion. Together with the Nationalists, they reestablished the church, something which was sure to be controversial in the future. In 2633, former Prime Minister Pierce Farnsworth announced he would seek the MLP's presidential nomination for 2637. In 2635, he was nominated by the overwhelming majority of MLP delegates.